How to Flip a House

By Sabrina Biehl Published Apr 15, 2014 09:14 am Updated Apr 10, 2014 09:34 am

If you haven’t seen the many shows on television advertising and explaining how to flip a house this should help you find yourself well on your way to real estate investing riches through the process of flipping houses. While there are some negative connotations attached to flipping houses because of shoddy deals and shoddy workmanship in the past, you can create a positive reputation by doing things the right way if you follow the advice mentioned below.

1) Find a suitable house in a suitable location. This is probably the most important aspect of flipping a house. There is no way a flip could be successful if you do not get an absolutely great deal on a house that is in good shape, needing only cosmetic repairs and touches, that also happens to be in a neighborhood where houses move and will get the price you are setting as your goal. While it seems like a little more than a mouthful each of these things is important to the success of your flip.

2) Have an inspection. This is also essential because your inspection should clue you in to any unforeseen problems that may arise. You can either adjust your bid in order to cover the costs of those repairs or you can pull out of the project all together if discovered and unanticipated repairs would eliminate the profit you potential you need in order to make the house flip worth your time.

3) Decide what must be done. It is best to salvage as much of the original structure as possible and make mostly cosmetic repairs to the house. The goal of a flip is to spend little and make a lot. Plan projects that can be completed quickly (carrying costs are the bane of the house flipper) and with little expense. Flooring, paint, and fixtures are a great way to make a large impact without spending too much money.

4) Get the work done. Whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring experts you need to get the work done as quickly as possible in order to maximize your profits. Plan projects to move quickly and avoid projects that rely on the entire property being useless while they are being performed as they risk putting other projects behind if they are delayed for some reason.

5) Be flexible with the price. If you stick to your budget you should be able to go with your original target asking price. You do not want to price the property more than the neighborhood will be able to support and you definitely want to avoid turning off potential buyers by turning down a fair offer too quickly. It is better to take a lower offer and sell the house quickly than hold out for a larger offer that never comes (all the while paying costly carrying costs).

Flipping a house is a trying ordeal and during the middle it is likely you will decide that you aren’t asking for nearly enough money out of the deal. The hours are long and the work is difficult but if you stick to it and don’t get greedy you will find that the profits can be quite attractive by real estate investing standards and fairly quick to come. While the work is difficult the payoff is wonderful.